Don't Look Down
by EllaoftheOpera
Summary: Modern Day AU. Aaron and Olivia, both stage actors, have received callbacks for the Broadway revival of Les Miserables. Will Olivia get the part she wants despite her intense social anxiety? Or will it go to her haughty co-star who has nepotism on her side? Eponine/Enjolras AU. No swearing or sexual content. Rating may change to T due to the musical's content. *ON HIATUS*
1. Backstage Bias

**A/N: So I was listening to the Les Miserables soundtrack and I got the idea to write this. I always pretend I'm Eponine when I listen to the soundtrack and I sing all her parts and act it out and stuff, so I thought why not write a story about a girl that does the same thing? This story happens in the real world to actors and actresses who are going to play the parts of the characters on stage. None of them are real actors. Also, I have a shocking lack of knowledge about how the actors and actresses in these musicals are actually cast. This is just my interpretation of how I think it would work.**

 **I don't own Les Mis, but I do own pretty much every character in this story. Just not the characters they play on stage.**

Aaron Campbell re-read the same sentence in his book for the fifth time without grasping the meaning. He sighed, placing the book on the chair next to him. The chatter in the room around him made it nearly impossible to comprehend what he was reading. He glanced at the clock. 2:00 pm. He'd been there for over an hour now. What was taking the directors so long?

He cast his eyes around the room, seeing what he could deduce about the people around him. All of them had received callbacks for the Broadway revival of Les Miserables. He knew that much. But what parts could they be auditioning for?

His eyes first landed on a group of girls sitting away from the rest of the people in the room, gossiping about who knows what. One of them, a shorter girl with long blonde hair, was texting away on her phone. Every few minutes, she would read a response from whoever she was texting and giggle excitedly. _Cosette,_ he thought. _Texting her Marius._

A younger blonde girl sat next to Aaron's imagined Cosette. She was looking around the room with a bored expression. She was the spitting image of the older girl next to her. If he didn't know any better, Aaron would guess that they were sisters. _That must be young Cosette._

The rest of the gossipy girls in the group were all collected around a girl with long black hair. She seemed very full of herself. She was regaling the little group with tales of her theatrical exploits. Every few minutes she'd flip her hair back behind her. Aaron wrinkled his nose. He couldn't tell what part she was trying out for, but he already knew he would dislike her. The rest of the girls around her were probably trying for ensemble parts or supporting roles, he guessed.

On the opposite side of the room, a man sat, reading. A closer inspection revealed that he was reading Victor Hugo's novel of the play they were trying out for. He was studying something specific on the page he was reading. After a minute, he pulled a highlighter from his pocket and marked the page. _Valjean,_ he thought. _Studying for his role._

A few seats away from the man was a loud group of men. Most of the noise in the room was coming from them. They were chatting about who knows what, trading stories about theatre mishaps and other roles they'd been in. _They must be the students in the rebellion,_ Aaron mused.

Another man sat there with them but did not join in with the chatter. He was texting on his phone. He smiled happily. Every so often, one of the other men would tease him about whoever he was texting. _Marius._

A rowdy boy of around fourteen was sitting with them as well. He was laughing and sharing stories of his own. He seemed to have a bit of a mouth on him as well. Aaron had heard the boy use some rather colorful language. _Gavroche._

A woman sat in the corner, away from everyone else. She was eyeing the group of men warily as if she didn't trust them. In her hands was a baby blanket. She was crocheting the edges of it. _Fantine._

Another man sat watching her. He seemed rather coarse. He was chewing a toothpick and eyeing the woman's ring. _Thenardier._

A man was watching the rest of the actors and actresses with narrow eyes. He met Aaron's eyes for a moment. He felt rather uncomfortable under the man's calculating gaze. _Javert._

The rest of the actors and actresses in the room were most likely trying for ensemble and supporting roles. Aaron himself was trying for the role of Enjolras. However, he couldn't seem to place an actress that would be trying for Eponine.

The door to the room opened, interrupting his musings.

Instead of the directors, like he had hoped, a young woman entered the room. She had long, curly brown hair and a newsboy cap with the 'Newsies on Broadway' logo stitched on it. Her deep brown eyes grew wider as she gazed around the room at all of its inhabitants. She seemed very nervous. Her hands were shaking, Aaron noticed. She seemed to be whispering to herself as she scanned the room for a place to sit. Most of the seats were taken.

She approached an empty seat near the gossipy girls. The haughty one with the long black hair stopped whatever story she was telling and turned to the girl.

"You can't sit there," she stated.

The girl looked up in surprise. "Why not? I mean, everywhere else is taken and this is one of the only seats and I really don't want to stand and nobody is really sitting here right now-"

"Because," the black haired girl cut her off. "I said so. Now go sit somewhere else." She laughed and turned back to her gaggle of gossipy girls.

The only other two seats left in the room were next to Aaron and next to the man he believed to be the real-life Javert. Seriously, the guy was starting to freak him out. And the poor girl was already nervous enough as it was. He wasn't going to subject her to that.

"Hey," Aaron called out to her. "There's a seat free over here." He patted the seat next to him. Seeing her pale expression, he smiled and added, "I promise I don't bite."

Hesitantly, the girl made her way toward Aaron, sitting in the seat next to him. He could hear what she was whispering now.

"It's okay, Olivia, you can do this. You can do this. You can do this…"

Her tone changed. "What are you talking about Olivia? Of course you can't do this! You can't even order takeout on the phone without rehearsing exactly what you need to say in front of the mirror five different times! And now you want to be in a Broadway musical? Are you insane?"

Aaron listened to her as she argued out loud with herself. She was speaking softly enough that only he could hear her, despite the background chatter. Her fingers were tapping on the armrest at lightning speed.

She reverted back to her previous tone. "Olivia, you're overreacting. You already aced the initial audition. How is the callback any different? You can do this."

"Yeah, but the audition was in front of the casting manager. The callbacks are in front of the directors! What if I mess up? What if I throw up all over the stage during my song? What if everybody laughs at me? I'll have to change my name and move to New Jersey!"

"Listen to me, Olivia. You've rehearsed your song more times then you can count. You practiced talking to people this morning. And you know what you're doing. You've been working toward this moment since you first walked into a theatre in third grade. You've prepped, you've prepared. You are ready. You are one performance away from landing your dream part on Broadway. Don't let a little stage fright ruin your chances."

The girl groaned and put her head in her hands.

Aaron spoke up. "Are you all right?" he asked, trying his hardest not to laugh at her. Listening to her talk to herself was rather amusing, but she may not feel the same way he did.

The girl darted upright again, looking at him. "I'm okay, at least I think I'm okay, I'm really nervous, and I honestly don't know why I thought I could do this, I mean there are so many other people that are more qualified, and I'm rambling again cause that's what I do when I get nervous, I don't even hardly notice when I'm doing it, and you can tell me if I'm rambling, and I'm just gonna shut up now." She put her head back in her hands.

Aaron laughed. He stuck out his hand. "Aaron Campbell."

The girl looked up at him and grinned sheepishly. She shook his hand. "Olivia Warner."

"It's nice to meet you, Olivia. What part are you trying out for? I'm hoping for Enjolras."

Olivia hesitated a moment, before whispering fervently. "Eponine. I want to be Eponine."

Aaron could see in her eyes how much getting this part meant to her. He really hoped she could sing well enough. She definitely looked the part, right down to her newsboy cap.

"I like your hat," he mentioned.

She subconsciously reached up to adjust it. "Oh, thanks. I went to see Newsies when it was on Broadway and I got this hat and I got to meet Jeremy Jordan and it was so amazing-"

"You're rambling," Aaron pointed out.

"Right. Sorry." She slumped down in her seat, tapping her foot.

"What are you so nervous about?" Aaron asked. "It's just an audition."

"Well…" she hesitated. "I have this thing," she began, "about talking to people. I'm really antisocial, I don't go to parties or hang out with people or anything. I can barely take to people I know on the phone without having a total panic attack. I'm afraid that I'll totally mess up in front of the directors and they'll send me away. I really, really want this part."

Aaron was confused. "If you're so nervous about talking to people, why are you trying out for a Broadway musical? You are aware that you'll have to do a lot of talking, right?"

"That's the thing," she said. "When I'm on stage, it's different. I become whoever I'm portraying. I'm a completely different person when I'm out there. I don't get nervous while I'm performing. That's why I love the theatre so much. I can be whoever I want to be. Nobody judges me." She added that last bit quietly at the end.

Aaron was stunned. This girl was more like Eponine than he had originally thought.

"Can you sing?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I like to think I'm a good singer, even though there are so many people better than me, and I've only been taking voice lessons for a year or so but I guess the casting manager thought I was a good enough singer and I'm rambling again aren't I?"

Aaron nodded.

"Dang it. I was doing so well, too."

Aaron decided to change the subject. "So… how old are you?" he asked.

Despite her anxiety, Olivia smirked. "Hasn't anyone ever told you not to ask a girl how old she is?" she asked.

Aaron's cheeks tinted pink. "I.. well I mean… no one ever said…" he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

Olivia laughed. Her laugh was high and clear. Aaron liked it. "I'm just joking. I'm 20."

Aaron sighed in relief. "Oh, okay. That's good. I'm 21."

Before either of them could ask any more questions, the doors to the small room opened once more to reveal two people, a man and a woman. The man was much older than the woman. He had gray hair and a short beard. He was wearing loose jeans and a flannel shirt. His eyes were kind, and they sparkled as he looked around the room, smiling at everyone in it. Aaron immediately liked him.

The woman, on the other hand, was a different story. Her pitch black hair was pulled back into a tight, uncomfortable looking bun. Her dark eyes looked sharply and coldly at the actors and actresses in the room. Her cheekbones were high and pointed, like her chin. She was wearing a grey pantsuit and very high stilettos. Aaron wondered how it was possible for somebody to walk in shoes like that.

The man cleared his throat and immediately the room quieted.

"Welcome, fellow actors and actresses! My name is Frank Rathbone and this is my lovely co-director, Cheryl Brady. We're very excited to have you here! We're so sorry to keep you waiting. Traffic is an absolute beast in this city, you know what I mean?" He spoke with a barely there New York accent.

Several of the room's occupants laughed in agreement.

The man clapped his hands, rubbing them together. "Now, here is how this is going to work. Everybody is going to have a chance to audition in front of us two. After everyone has gone, we'll converse and decide who will get what parts. Most of you already have a guaranteed part, just so you know. The casting director just wanted us to be sure we liked you. But some parts have multiple people still auditioning for them. These are the ones were really want to see. If you want to come in and watch the auditions, you're more than welcome. Now, can we first have the two lovely young ladies who are auditioning for the part of Cosette come in the theatre with us?"

The girl who was texting and giggling stood up, along with another gossipy girl in the group. As they followed the directors into the theatre, Aaron leaned over toward Olivia.

"You want to go watch the auditions? We can try and guess who gets what part. It could be fun."

Olivia nodded. "Anything to get my mind off things for a bit."

They rose simultaneously. Aaron opened the door for her. She smiled.

"I guess chivalry isn't really dead, huh?" she asked, slipping past him.

He shook his head. "Nope. My mom raised me right."

"That she did."

The sat in the back of the theatre, taking in the auditions. Olivia stole a few glances at Aaron. She thought he had a real chance at getting this part. He definitely looked like an Enjolras, with his curly, sandy-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He definitely wasn't unattractive. Of that she was sure.

Once both girls had auditioned, the directors sent them off so they could talk for a few minutes.

"Who do you think will get the part?" Olivia whispered.

"I think the first girl will get it," he replied. "I was watching her earlier before you got here and she totally struck me as Cosette."

"I think you're right," she agreed.

A few minutes later, both girls re-entered the room. Aaron and Olivia both cheered silently and high-fived when the girl they predicted got the part.

"Will you go and call in the candidates for Eponine, Cheryl?" Frank asked.

The woman's mouth became a smiled deviously and nodded.

Aaron watched as Olivia grew visibly paler. He touched her arm to get her attention.

"Hey, don't worry. You've got this. If you start getting nervous, just imagine the directors in their underwear."

She made a face. "Ew, no. That's just gonna make things worse. When I get nervous, I just picture people wearing matching onesie pajamas. Works every time."

Aaron laughed out loud. "That's awesome. I'm so using that trick in the future. Now go get 'em!"

She stood up, visibly shaking, and took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself before walking to the stage to join the other candidate.

Aaron was surprised to see the haughty black-haired girl from earlier. He wouldn't have pegged her as Eponine at all.

Cheryl clasped her hands in her lap. "I'll conduct this audition Frank, thank you very much." Her voice was high and cold. "Introduce yourselves, please."

The haughty girl stepped forward. "Cora Brady. I've been in several Broadway productions, including Cats, Aida, and Rent. I _always_ get whatever part I want. Don't I, mother?" she asked sweetly.

"Indeed you do, dear," Cheryl answered. She turned to Frank. "We don't really need to have this girl audition, do we? My daughter is going to get the part no matter what."

Aaron couldn't believe what he was hearing. Olivia was being kicked to the curb due to blatant nepotism!

Frank spoke up before Aaron could. "Now, Cheryl, let's give this nice young lady a chance." He smiled at Olivia, who did her best to smile back.

Cheryl huffed. "I don't see why we should. Cora is getting the part either way."

"Everybody gets a fair chance, Cheryl. Your daughter still has to audition as well," he reminded her. He turned toward Olivia. "What's your name, dear?" he asked kindly.

"Olivia Warner," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "I haven't really been in any Broadway plays yet. I was in a few local and off-off-Broadway productions, though."

Cheryl scowled. "She doesn't even have the experience necessary for this part! You, Olga, get off the stage. We don't need you anymore." She waved her off.

Olivia looked close to tears.

Frank turned to face Cheryl. "We are going to give both girls a chance at this part, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Do you understand?" he asked sternly.

Cheryl gave Frank a glare that could freeze water, but she nodded.

"There! That's settled. Now, who would like to go first?" he asked.

Cora stepped in front of Olivia. "I'm going first," she stated. She turned to Olivia. "Get off the stage. Now." She pointed toward the wings.

Olivia moved soundlessly off the stage and toward the left wing of the theatre. Aaron stood from his seat in the back of the theatre and went to try and find her. He heard Cora singing for the directors. Her voice was very high and clear, but it was very operatic. She sounded more suited for Cosette than for Eponine.

He found her sitting on the ground behind the heavy curtain in the wings. He approached her from behind. He could hear her sniffling.

"Olivia?"

She turned toward him. He saw tears running down her cheeks. He went and sat next to her on the ground, rubbing a hand up and down her arm to try and calm her. He'd known this girl for barely an hour and already he cared about her more than any other actress he'd met. Aaron never had never really connected with anyone on that level before. It was almost like an instant friendship, something he hadn't had in a very long while.

"Don't listen to anything that woman says. That's nepotism right there. If she tries to kick you out without giving you a fair chance then I'll talk to her. And our conversation will not be civil, that I can promise.

Olivia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Why are you helping me?" she asked. "You barely know me."

"Because I don't have many friends," he answered honestly. "And I have a feeling that it's the same with you. You seem really nice. And I happen to know from experience that one of the best ways to make friends is to rehearse a musical with them. I'm not giving up until you get a fair chance."

She smiled. "Thanks, Aaron. I really needed that."

The music that had been playing in the background stopped. Aaron could hear Cheryl applauding wildly at her daughter's performance. Frank was clapping politely as well.

Aaron stood up and helped Olivia to her feet. "Now go out there and prove that woman wrong."

She nodded, taking deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. She walked on stage. Aaron watched her from the wings.

"Hello again, Olivia," Frank said. "How are you?"

"Better," she replied.

"Are you ready to sing?" he asked. "You can take a few more minutes to calm down if you need to."

"No." She shook her head. "I'm ready now."

"Alright then. Whenever you're ready."

The intro to "On My Own" started playing. Olivia opened her mouth and began to sing.

Aaron was speechless. Her voice might not be as polished as Cora's was, but it was jam-packed with raw emotion and passion. She sang softly at first, gaining power as time went by. He could almost feel how much she wanted this part. Frank could feel it too. Aaron saw it in his face. Cheryl, however, looked disinterested, like Olivia was wasting her time.

When Olivia hit the high note at the end of the song, Aaron could feel goosebumps crawling up his arms. He had gained a lot of respect for this girl. When the song finished, he and Frank both stood and clapped loudly.

Cheryl didn't bother clapping at all. She stood. "Are you done?" she asked. "Because I think we both know who is getting this part. Don't we, Frank?"

"We're going to go and have a little chat now. Go ahead and have a seat, sweetheart," Frank addressed Olivia.

She walked back over toward Aaron, who was waiting for her in the wings with a big smile.

"That. Was. AMAZING. Where did you learn to sing like that?" He asked.

"I've only been taking voice lessons for about a year," she explained. "At my first lesson, my teacher looked like he might pass out when he first heard me sing. He told me he'd never heard anything quite like my voice."

"Same here. I got goosebumps listening to you."

She seemed sort of embarrassed. "Did you really?" she asked. Her cheeks were tinted a light shade of pink.

He nodded. "You're a shoe-in for the role. Cora has nothing on you."

She just grinned and sat on the ground. He sat next to her.

Cora entered the wings, coming to a stop in front of the pair. She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Just so you know," she started, "I've been involved in every single theatrical production my mother has ever directed, and she gets me the lead role in each one. I've been on Broadway since I was eight. What makes you think you even have a chance?" she asked.

"Everyone gets a fair chance, Cora," Olivia replied. "I have as much of a chance of landing that part as you do."

Cora laughed. "I doubt it, Olga."

"It's Olivia. Not Olga. Don't call me that," Olivia persisted.

Cora just laughed again and walked away.

"Girls!" Frank's voice was heard from the orchestra pit. "We've made a decision. Would you both come out on stage, please?"

Both girls did as they were told.

Aaron saw Cheryl smile knowingly at her daughter. He got a sick feeling in his stomach.

"After much _persistent_ debating, we've reached a decision," Frank began. "We would like to offer the part of Eponine to…"

 **A/N: Oooh, Cliffhanger! Who do you think should get the part? Cast your vote in the poll in my profile! The first person to get 5 votes will win the part!**


	2. Secret Oasis

_"After much_ persistent _debating, we've reached a decision," Frank began. "We would like to offer the part of Eponine to…"_

"...Cora!"

Olivia's heart sank all the way down to her boots.

Cora looked at her smugly. "Better luck next time, Olga."

"However," Frank continued, "we would like Olivia to understudy the role."

"What?!" Cora shrieked.

Olivia raised her head hopefully.

"You have an amazing voice, my dear," Frank told her. "Cora just has a little more experience in the field of Broadway showmanship. If you agree to understudy her role, you'll get the experience you need. And maybe later on, when we recast a few characters, you'll get to be our primary Eponine."

Olivia nodded. "Yes, I'd love to be Cora's understudy!"

He smiled. "Lovely. Cheryl, will you please bring in the actors who will be auditioning for Javert?"

Cheryl left the room, her mouth pressed into a thin line.

Cora glared at Olivia. "This isn't over!" she hissed before stepping off the stage to follow her mother.

Olivia smiled gratefully at Frank before walking back into the wings where Aaron was waiting for her. She let out a breath.

"Well… that could have gone worse," she conceded.

"I was really mad at first until Frank explained their decision," Aaron replied. "It makes sense."

"Yeah. On the bright side… I'm part of the cast!" she said with a grin. "I get to rehearse Eponine's lines and maybe get to be in the ensemble as well!"

"Which is amazing," Aaron agreed with a smile. "As far as I know, I'm the only remaining candidate for Enjolras, so my part is in the bag."

"Awesome! We get to rehearse together then, huh?"

"Yup," he replied, popping the p. "Now that your audition is over, you don't have to stay any longer. You can go home if you want."

"Are you kidding me? I wanna hear you sing. I'm staying." She sat down on the floor, criss-crossing her legs.

Aaron chuckled, sitting down next to her and mimicking her posture. The next few weeks were going to be a lot of fun, he could tell.

ooOOoo

After his audition (which Olivia described as, quote, 'spectacular'), Aaron found himself chatting with several other cast members while Olivia gathered her things.

The real-life Javert had gotten the part he wished for, to Aaron's chagrin. The large group of rowdy boys had gotten the parts they wanted as well. He found that most of them knew each other already from previous theatrical exploits. A few had even gone to the same high school. They were a close-knit group, but they were also very opening and welcome.

They had all begun to call themselves by their characters names, which resulted in quite a bit of confusion. Eventually, Aaron asked them all to introduce themselves with their first name and then their character name.

The tallest one in the group spoke first. "Name's Garfield," he slurred slightly. His breath smelled slightly of beer. "I play Grantaire."

"Sorry about him," a blonde boy apologized. "He has a bit of a drinking problem. I'm Caleb. I play Combeferre."

"I'm Carl," another one piped up. "I play Courfeyrac."

One by one, each boy introduced himself. A boy named James was playing the part of Joly, Feuilly was played by a boy named Forrest, and Jehan was played by a boy named Jefferson.

The youngest boy in the group pushed to the front and puffed his chest out proudly. "I'm Oliver," he said. "I play Gavroche."

"Nice to meet you all," Aaron replied. He noticed Olivia out of the corner of his eye, hanging back away from the group. "My friend Olivia is back there. She's kinda shy."

It felt odd calling her his friend. He'd had friends before, but he'd never had a real, true, best friend. Olivia felt like a best friend, he supposed. Even though they had known each other for only a few hours.

Olivia perked up when she heard her name. She nervously made her way toward the group. "Umm… Hi," she started. "I'm Olivia. I'm understudying the role of Eponine even though I tried out for Eponine but I didn't have enough experience for the role apparently so Cora got it and she's the actual Eponine but I might get it in a year or so when the show is recast and I think I might be rambling again." She facepalmed.

Caleb laughed. "It's okay. We all get nervous. Some people just get more nervous than others." He shot James a pointed look.

James looked rather offended. "I do not get nervous. I have Mysophobia. There is a difference. It's a fear of germs," he added after seeing Olivia's confused expression.

"You don't have to worry around us, Olivia," Jefferson said kindly. "None of us bite. The guy playing Javert, on the other hand…"

"I know, right?" Aaron joined in. "He was watching me before my audition. He gave me the creepiest feeling."

"Guys, you'll never guess what I just heard," another boy said, panting after running toward the group.

"That's Ben," James said. "He's playing Bahorel."

"The guy who's playing Marius, Sam Gordon? He's dating the girl who plays Cosette!"

"Seriously?" Forrest said, dumbfounded.

"Great," Garfield said. "Now we'll have to deal with all their PDA, in addition to Cora Brady's nastiness."

"You guys know her?" Olivia asked.

"Garfield, James, and Caleb did. They've worked with her before. The rest of us have only heard stories until now," Carl said with a shudder.

"Cora is awful," Caleb told her. "She constantly puts everyone down and makes fun of them. The theatre is supposed to be fun, in my opinion. She makes it the opposite. I was in Rent with her. I couldn't wait for my contract to be up so I could get the heck out of there. It was toxic."

Seeing Olivia's panicked look, Jefferson put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Livvy. Can we call you Livvy?"

She nodded. He continued. "Just stick with us. We'll protect you from the Wicked Witch of the West."

Olivia giggled. She liked these guys already. Her stomach made a loud growling noise, causing several of them to turn and look at her curiously.

"Hungry, are we?" Ben asked with a smile.

She looked sheepish. "I skipped breakfast. Too anxious to eat. And all I could force myself to eat for lunch was a bag of animal crackers I keep in my purse."

"Animal crackers?" Aaron smirked.

"Yes. Animal crackers. They're the only thing my parents could get me to eat when I was anxious. So I always keep some with me. That way, I won't starve to death in the event of an anxiety attack."

"How are you still on your feet?" Garfield asked incredulously. "If I went that long without food I would have crashed a long time ago."

She just shrugged. "I'm used to it."

"Regardless of how 'used to it' you are, you really should eat something," James pointed out. "You don't want your blood sugar to get too low."

"That's James for you," Forrest said, clapping the man on his shoulder. "Always worrying about our health."

"I really do need to eat, though. I wonder if there's a Wendy's or something near here…" she pulled out her phone and started typing her request into the Google search bar.

While Olivia was preoccupied, Caleb pulled Aaron closer to the group. "Does Livvy have some sort of anxiety disorder? Do you know?"

Aaron shrugged. "I think she might. I don't know for sure."

"Hmm…." James hummed, tapping his chin. "She has all the signs. Antisocial tendencies, excessive worry, an inability to keep still, stomach trouble…"

"What's the diagnosis, doc?" Carl asked.

"I think she has a social phobia," he concluded. "She doesn't seem to enjoy being in social situations."

"Is there anything we can do to help her feel less worried around us?" Forrest questioned.

"Well, we can start by removing stressors and doing things that will help relieve the stress caused by stressors." At everyone's confused faces, he explained, "Keep her calm and get rid of things that might freak her out."

Everyone murmured in understanding.

Olivia came back over to the group. "There's a Wendy's half a mile from here," she stated. "I'm gonna go. I'll see you all tomorrow, I guess?" she rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet, nervously waiting for their answer. Her shoulders were raised, one hand tapping on the opposite arm.

They all nodded in assent.

"Awesome. Bye." she walked away swiftly. Aaron noticed her shoulders lower the farther she walked away from them.

"You can tell by her body language that talking to other people makes her nervous," he pointed out.

"Poor thing," Jefferson said. "She needs some good friends here, people she knows that she can trust."

"With any luck, we'll be those people," Caleb said decisively. "We just need to earn her trust first."

ooOOoo

Olivia looked at herself in the mirror next morning. She frowned. Was her outfit too nerdy? She wanted to wear her Wicked t-shirt to rehearsals that morning, but she just wasn't sure. She was worried about what everyone might think. She didn't have time to change to her outfit though, so Wicked it was.

On the subway ride over, she kept her head down the entire time, never making eye contact. She swore she could feel people's eyes on her, watching her every move. She hurried as fast as she could off the subway when she got to her stop.

As she walked to the theater, she noticed one of her shoes was untied, but she didn't dare bend down and tie it for fear of people watching her. She resigned to tying it when she got to her destination.

When she arrived at the theater, she breathed a sigh of relief, pulling open the doors that led into the lobby. Most people entered the back way as it led directly to the stage and the rehearsal rooms, but Olivia preferred to take the road less traveled. There were fewer people to run into there. When she got to the rehearsal room, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves before trying to enter without being noticed.

Her attempt was made in vain, however, as Cora noticed her entrance almost immediately. She stomped over toward Olivia, glaring.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "This rehearsal is for people with main and supporting roles only! You're an understudy! You shouldn't be here!"

"Frank wanted me to come to this rehearsal even though I'm not actually a lead actor cause he just wanted me to get the experience I need to advance my career and honestly I thought coming might boost my confidence a little and-"

"My gosh, you're annoying!" Cora interrupted. "Do everyone a favor and just keep your mouth shut. No one wants to hear you babble. Do I make myself clear?"

Olivia tried to think of what to say, but her mind had gone blank. Say something, Olivia. Say something! Oh gosh, please say something!

"Hey, Livvy!" Caleb called out, walking over. "How are you?" he turned. "Oh, hey Cora. I didn't see you there."

Cora turned on her heels and stormed off, refusing to speak with him.

"Thanks…" Olivia muttered.

"No problem," he replied. "Come on, everyone else is over here."

He lead her over to the other side of the room, where Aaron and the rest of the "Barricade Boys" (the name they'd given themselves) were. As soon as they saw her, they all smiled and greeted her cheerfully.

"Hey, Livvy!" "You made it!" "Good to see you!" "We were waiting for you!"

Their comments made Olivia smile. Nobody had ever gone to such lengths to make her feel welcome before. She waved a little. "Hi."

The girl who played Cosette came around, handing scripts to everyone.

Frank stood at the front of the room, dishing out instructions.

"Meredith has graciously volunteered to hand out the scripts for your parts," he was saying. "Take a good look through them, then split off into groups and start practicing lines."

Olivia looked down at her script. Eponine's part had been highlighted, as well as a few of the ensemble parts. She wrinkled her nose when she saw that she had also been cast as one of the 'lovely ladies'.

Aaron, noticing her expression, took a peek at her script. He chuckled. "Not a big fan of that role, huh?"

She shook her head, grimacing, and turned the page. She was also part of the 'One Day More' scene and the "Turning, Turning' song. She turned to peek at his script.

He showed her the part where he had to sing 'Red and Black'. "This is the part I'm most worried about," he explained. "It's hard to hit the high notes correctly and loudly enough at the same time."

She patted his shoulder. "You'll do fine," she told him. "You have a great voice, you don't have a thing to worry about."

"I love your shirt, by the way. How many musicals have you seen on Broadway?" he asked.

"Let me see…" She started counting them off on her fingers. "I saw Phantom of the Opera twice, Les Miserables, Newsies, Wicked, Cats, Shrek the Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray, Grease, Rent, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Lion King. And I have tickets to see Dear Evan Hansen next week."

The rest of the group had crowded around her as she listed off the many musicals she'd seen.

Jefferson's mouth was agape. "I've only ever seen Phantom," he replied.

"Same here," said Garfield. "I'm pretty sure you've seen more Broadway shows than all of us combined, Livvy."

She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a theatre nerd. I try to see a new show every few months. It's my way of escaping the real world."

"What's wrong with the real world?" Forrest asked curiously.

She sighed, playing with her fingers. "Nothing is inherently wrong with the real world, I guess. But it's nice to pretend sometimes."

Aaron, sensing she was uncomfortable with the subject, changed the topic. "Let's see here…" he said, flipping back to where his part began. "Practice lines… do you guys want to start with the scene leading into 'Red and Black'?"

The group murmured in assent and began running through the scene. While they were preoccupied, Olivia crept away and back out the rehearsal room door.

She found herself wandering around the backstage area of the theatre, trying to familiarize herself with the layout when she saw an unmarked door leading underneath the stage. Curious, she tried the handle. Finding it unlocked, she poked her head inside.

It was a storage area, filled with all sorts of things. There were props from past shows, folding chairs, and several instruments as well. Olivia smiled widely when she saw an old piano pushed up against the back wall. She made her way toward the instrument, lifting the lid and brushing her fingers lightly over the keys. She took a seat on the bench and played a few scales, testing to see if the piano was in tune or not. She began playing Fur Elise, humming along softly. She always felt so relaxed when playing the piano. Music had always helped her more than traditional therapy. She wished she could afford a piano of her own.

She closed her eyes, giving herself to the melody, and smiled softly. What she wouldn't give to just stay like this forever, in her own little world…

But life goes on, and nothing lasts forever. She sighed, playing the last few measures of the song. When she had finished, she stood, closing the lid of the piano, and pushed the bench back in. She knew she ought to go back to the rehearsal room, but another part of her wanted to stay, to see if they even noticed that she had left. Nobody ever seemed to.

She turned around and headed for the door, giving the piano one last glance. She would definitely be coming back to this room in the future, she decided. It felt nice, having her own little secret oasis that nobody else knew about, a place to come and decompress when things got too overwhelming. She smiled. Maybe this musical wouldn't be that stressful after all.


	3. A Second Job

Olivia created a routine for herself. Get up, choose a theatre t-shirt, get dressed, grab something to eat on the way to the subway station. She always made sure her purse was chock-full of snacks, including the all-important animal crackers, before she went to bed.

Every day, she would go to work and rehearse lines with the other actors and actresses, several of which she had gotten to know a bit better. Meredith, the actress who played Cosette, was very sweet. Olivia got along quite well with her, and her boyfriend Sam as well, who played Marius. The man who played Jean Valjean (a nice, middle-aged man named Jonathan, of all things) pulled her aside the at the first rehearsal to tell her that if she ever needed to talk, his dressing room door was always open. She made a mental note of that; she might take advantage of his offer.

Aaron and the others always made sure that she was included in whatever they did, whether it was rehearsing lines or getting ice cream afterward. It was a nice feeling, being noticed. Even if one of the other boys had to tell the woman at the register what kind of ice cream she wanted.

About a month into rehearsing, Frank announced that they were going to run through several of the scenes, the first of which being 'A Heart Full of Love'. The prop-master had retrieved all of the set items that were used in the last incarnation of Les Miserables from storage. Everything was set up and ready to go on stage.

Instead of running lines, most of the other actors and actresses chose to sit in the theatre and watch Meredith, Sam, and Cora rehearse. It was very convincing, even without costumes and props. Olivia still felt that Cora's voice was much too high for Eponine, though she did a good job.

"Cora!" Frank called out. "You're drowning out Sam and Meredith. Can you sing a bit softer?"

She nodded, rolling her eyes when Frank's back was turned. Cheryl had chosen to make an appearance that day since her daughter was rehearsing. She frowned at Frank's constructive criticism but didn't say anything.

"Very good!" Frank remarked when they finished the scene. The others sitting in the theatre clapped politely.

Cora flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "Easy as pie," she remarked.

"Olivia!" Frank shouted. "Can you come up on stage for a minute?"

Olivia froze in her seat. Aaron nudged her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. He doesn't bite."

"He's not the one I'm worried about," she whispered back, nodding her head toward Cora, who was still on stage.

Olivia made her way onto the stage, nervously playing with her fingers.

Frank smiled when he saw her. "Hello, dear! How are you?"

Something about Frank's smile always seemed to calm her down. "I'm doing good," she replied.

"Wonderful. Do you know Eponine's part in this song?"

She nodded.

"Good. Why don't you give it a try, then? You'll need to know how to sing it as well, in the event that Cora can't perform."

She nodded again, very excited but trying hard not to show it. "Okay."

Cora reluctantly left the stage, glaring at Olivia the whole time, and took a seat in the audience next to her mother.

Olivia closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, reminding herself of what Eponine would be feeling at this point in time. She would feel heartbroken, maybe even a bit betrayed. The boy she loved had chosen another instead of her. She relayed that thought through her a mind a few times, getting into the character as much as she could.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn't Olivia anymore.

She was Eponine.

She watched Marius and Cosette sing about their love for one another, feeling the pain each word brought. Of course, he had chosen her. Cosette was rich and beautiful. She was a street urchin, loved by nobody. Why had she thought that he would ever love her? She opened her mouth and began to sing, pouring all of her sorrow and pain into the words of her song.

When they had finished singing the song, everything was quiet for a few moments. Then, deafening applause sounded, breaking Olivia out of her trance. She turned, shocked, to see that Aaron and the Barricade Boys were on their feet, cheering for her.

She smiled widely, covering her mouth with her hand. Nobody had ever cheered for her like that before.

Cheryl clapped politely, an unimpressed look on her face. Cora didn't clap at all, rolling her eyes at the attention Olivia was getting.

Frank had a contemplative look on his face. Lia tensed. "Did I, um, did I do good?" she asked him.

He nodded. "You were wonderful, dear. The amount of emotion in that performance was staggering. But I'm sensing a problem here."

Her eyes widened. "What wrong?"

"The problem, you see, is that the actress I've cast to play Eponine's understudy is much better at the role than the actress I've cast to play Eponine herself," he said, grinning at her.

"What?!" Cora shrieked, standing from her seat.

Frank stood, ignoring Cora's outburst. "I'm going to go and have a little chat with Cheryl."

He left the stage, leaving a very shocked Olivia behind. She sat down on the stage, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened.

Sam and Meredith came over to tell her what a good job she did before leaving the stage as well, heading who-knows-where.

She was suddenly attacked on all sides by boys, squeezing her into the middle of the group for a massive group hug. She laughed out loud at their antics.

"Stop, stop! You're squishing me!" she said, worming her way out.

"That was incredible, Livvy!" Garfield exclaimed. "I've never seen such emotion in a performance! How did you do it?"

"Simple, really," she replied. "I just got really, REALLY into it." She sat back down.

Aaron sat next to her, giving her a one-armed hug. "That was amazing, 'Livia."

She leaned into the hug. "Thanks, Aaron."

The Barricade Boys shared a look.

"I'm pretty thirsty. I think I'm gonna go raid the fridge in the rehearsal room. Anyone want to come with?" Caleb asked.

One by one, they filed off the stage, leaving Aaron and Olivia alone. The rest of the actors and actresses had left the theatre as well.

"So… I have a question to ask you," Aaron said slowly.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Where do you go every morning when everyone else is running lines?"

Olivia swallowed. "You actually noticed I was gone?"

"Of course I did. It's not as much fun without you there."

"I didn't think anyone noticed."

"I'm not the only one who did. All of the other guys noticed. I think Frank might have, as well." Aaron explained.

"How come you guys never said anything?"

He shrugged. "We figured you just needed your space."

Olivia bit her lip. "Do you wanna know where I go every morning?" she asked.

He nodded, standing up when she did. She held out her hand.

"Come on. I'll show you."

He took her hand, letting her pull him into the wings and down into the backstage area. She pointed to a dark area of the wall.

"I come here," she stated.

Aaron looked confused. "There's nothing there."

"That's why it's so perfect. Nobody else knows about it but me, and maybe Frank. I saw him down here a few times." She pushed the door open and flipped the light switch.

"Wait a second. There was a door there the entire time?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yup. I come here every morning and I play the piano for a while. It calms my nerves. Music is the best therapy, after all."

Aaron looked around the small room. "This is pretty cool, actually," he remarked.

"You can't tell anyone else about this place, though," she told him. "Otherwise, people will know where to find me when I don't want to be found."

"Why did you show me if you don't want anyone to know?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I trust you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You do? And here I thought you were this loner who never trusts anybody."

She sighed dramatically. "It's true. I'm just a lone wolf, doomed to wander the plains in search of my lost and forgotten pack."

They both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

ooOOoo

Garfield observed Aaron and Olivia laughing and chatting in the corner of the rehearsal room with narrowed eyes. They liked each other; it was clear as day. There was the close proximity, the subtle physical contact with one another, the lingering looks… Garfield may be perpetually inebriated, but he wasn't stupid.

"Hey Caleb, come here," he called.

Caleb walked over. "What's up?"

Garfield pointed at the pair in the corner. "Take a look at those two and tell me what you see."

Caleb watched them for a minute. His eyes widened.

"You see it too?" Garfield asked.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah. It's not hard to see."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"It depends. That poor drunken mind of yours concocts some pretty hair-brained schemes."

Garfield gave Caleb a pointed look. "Dude."

"Yeah, yeah. If we want to do this though, we're gonna have to get the rest of the guys on board."

"What are we waiting for then?"

Garfield grabbed Caleb's arm and dragged him off to find the others.

ooOOoo

"...and he actually did it! I still can't believe it. I have pictures and everything. It was the funniest thing ever!"

The boys were swapping theatre stories after rehearsal later that day. Olivia walked in to hear the tail end of a pretty crazy one. They all stopped talking when she walked in.

She looked at their faces. "Do I want to know?" she asked.

"No," Forrest immediately replied. The rest of the boys agreed with him.

"Okay then," she said slowly. "I'm gonna get going. I have a shift."

"A shift?" Aaron asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. My landlord decided to increase my rent and my salary as an understudy won't cover it. I had to find a secondary source of income."

"Where do you work?" Jefferson asked.

There's this all-night diner on 41st street that's hiring. It's only like a block away from my apartment. I'm the busboy. Or busgirl, I guess. They didn't think I could cut it as a waitress."

"You could totally make it as a waitress," James commented.

She smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye, Livvy!" They all shouted in unison.

She just shook her head, grabbing her purse and walking out the door.

As soon as she left, all of the boys turned to Aaron.

He moved back involuntarily. "Whoa, guys. What's going on?"

Garfield gave him a no-nonsense look. "Dude, you may be a good stage actor, but offstage you can't act to save your life."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked, confused.

"We've seen the way you look at Livvy," Ben said.

Aaron tried his best to look nonchalant. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Carl gave him a deadpan stare. "Dude. Don't."

"We know all about it," Carl added. "It's not too hard to figure out."

"How do you know?"

"Anyone can see by the way you look at her that you like her," James explained.

Aaron sighed, running a hand through his sandy-blonde curls. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I didn't think it was that obvious, though."

"Livvy doesn't know," Forrest assured him. "Trust us, we'd know if she knew. She's not very good at hiding her feelings. If she was, we wouldn't be able to tell when she's getting nervous."

"I don't want to say anything, though," Aaron admitted. "She doesn't have very many people she trusts, and she's just started to trust me. I don't know how she'd react to something like this."

"Take it slow," Caleb said. "Test the water; try and do things that will allow you to gauge her feelings for you. But be subtle; we don't want this to backfire."

"Yeah. Livvy's made a lot of progress these past few weeks in the way of social development. We don't want her to freak out and regress," Jefferson said.

Aaron looked impressed. "You guys actually give really good advice," he conceded. "How do you know all this?"

"We've all had girls that we liked. We all have sisters that come to us for advice as well, so we had to get good at giving it," Ben answered.

"Thanks, you guys. I might ask you for more advice in the future."

"Our door is always open. Office hours are 8 to 5. Walk-ins accepted," Garfield replied.

Aaron rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Good to know."

ooOOoo

Meanwhile, at the diner, Olivia was feeling a tad worn out. After a full day of rehearsals and then four hours of busing tables during the dinner rush, she was ready to go home and collapse in bed.

When she went to check out for the night at around 10 o' clock, the manager, a man several years older than her, stopped her.

"Hey, Lydia! Maddie was supposed to be here an hour ago for her shift. We have no one to fill for her. Could you stay a bit later?"

She sighed heavily. Could no one get her name right? "How much later?"

He shrugged. "It depends." He moved closer to her.

She took a few steps back, immediately uncomfortable with the situation.

"Depends on what, Jason?" she asked, holding the bin she put dirty dishes into in front of her as a sort of shield.

"On when Maddie shows. If she doesn't show up, you'll probably be here till six."

"Six? Jason, I can't stay until six. I have rehearsals in the morning."

He scowled at her. "You better stay until six, or you won't have a job anymore."

As he brushed past her, he bumped his hip against hers and grabbed her arm, whispering in her ear.

"If you get bored during the night, give me a call."

She waited until he'd gone through the door leading to the back of the diner before letting out the breath she'd been holding. She shuddered. She wasn't sure working here would be worth the sexual harassment she'd been getting from this guy day in and day out. But she needed the money. She didn't want to have to look for another apartment. And finding another job would take time she didn't have.

She didn't want to tell anybody about what was going on. Everybody already thought she was pathetic. She didn't want them thinking she was weak, too.

She sighed and went to find a broom.

ooOOoo

The next morning, Aaron arrived at rehearsals with a spring in his step. He had decided that today would be the day he asked Olivia to do something one-on-one. Not a date, necessarily. Just an outing as friends without all the other boys. He was rather excited.

He was also the first one to notice that Olivia didn't arrive at rehearsals when she normally did.

One by one, the other boys began to take notice as well. They murmured amongst themselves, trying to figure out what to do.

Aaron took out his phone and shot her a text.

 _Where are you?_

It took a few minutes before he got a reply.

 _I'm on my way. Be there in 10_

He showed the other boys the text.

"Livvy's never late. Ever," Jefferson said.

"I wonder what's making her late," Ben remarked.

About fifteen minutes later, Olivia shuffled into the rehearsal room. She looked exhausted. She was still wearing her uniform from the diner.

The others watched, speechless, as she walked past, ignoring them completely, and grabbed a few folding chairs. She set them up in a row and laid across them, using them as a sort of makeshift bed. She rolled over to the side so her back was facing them and closed her eyes.

James was the first one to speak up. "Livvy?" he asked timidly. "Are you okay?"

She didn't respond.

"So, umm… what does one do in a situation like this?" Garfield asked.

No one could give him a straight answer.

Aaron approached the chair-bed cautiously. "You okay, 'Livia?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she responded.

"We're kinda worried over here. Just wondered if you could clue us in as to what happened to change you from bouncy and happy to trudge-y and exhausted," he explained.

"Worked one shift. Had to work two extra," she mumbled. "On my feet from 6 pm to now."

"Why did you have to work two extra shifts?" Caleb asked, incredulous.

"Other workers never showed. Had to work or I'd be fired."

"You'd be fired? That's crap. I'd like to meet this boss of yours," Ben said angrily.

"My boss sucks." She let out a massive yawn.

"I'll say," Forrest agreed.

"Isn't there a bed somewhere around here? The one Fantine dies in?" Carl asked.

Jefferson snapped his fingers. "It's backstage, behind the curtain."

Aaron gently shook her shoulder. "Hey 'Livia, we found a bed for you. Come on."

"No," she mumbled, swatting his hand away. "Wanna sleep."

He sighed. "Okay, then. Come on." He scooped her up off the chair-bed.

"Jefferson, lead the way," he said.

"You smell nice," Olivia said under her breath.

Aaron chuckled. "And you smell like french fries."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

Once Jefferson had located the bed, They pulled it into a corner of the backstage area, where there would be less foot traffic. Aaron put Olivia down on top of it and pulled the blanket over her. She curled up in it, swatting his hand away again.

"Leave me be," she murmured.

"Alright. Goodnight."

"G'night." She was fast asleep in minutes, breathing softly.

The boys sat a few feet away from where she was sleeping.

"I don't like sleep-deprived Livvy. I much prefer her wide-awake counterpart," James stated.

"Agreed," the others said.

"What kind of a person makes somebody work a triple shift through the night with no sleep? That's twelve hours straight! That has to be some sort of workplace violation," Ben said.

Caleb pulled out his phone and started typing into the Google search bar. "Let's see," he said, scrolling through the web results and clicking one. His eyes widened.

"An employer can ask an employee to work up to 20 consecutive hours a day, as long as the employee gets a minimum 24 hours of rest a week! And they can have them do this 6 days a week for months on end!"

There were many indignant cries from the group.

"Employers can tell their employees to work overtime or they'll be fired. At least in New York workers are required to have at least one day off a week."

"That's insane!" Garfield said. "That shouldn't be legal!"

"It really shouldn't," Carl said. "But there isn't really anything we can do about it."

"Carl's right," Forrest agreed.

"Nothing you can do about what?" Frank asked, walking toward the group.

Aaron put a finger to his lips and pointed at Olivia. "She's asleep."

Frank nodded in understanding, taking a seat with them.

"She had to get a second job cause her landlord raised the rent on her. She was only supposed to work a single shift last night but she ended up working a triple shift cause the worker that was supposed to replace her never showed," Jefferson explained.

"We were researching New York labor laws to see if there was anything we could do about it. Unfortunately, everything her boss has done so far is completely legal," James added.

"Hmm… this is quite the situation we have here," Frank concluded. "Let's let her sleep for now. We can worry about things later when she's awake."


	4. Rescuing a Friend

**A/N: WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF RAPE. There's no actual rape, it just mentions it. You have been warned...**

When Olivia finally had enough energy to open her eyes again, it was one in the afternoon. She'd slept for nearly six hours. She sat up and stretched, grimacing when she reached her arms above her head. She was in desperate need of a shower. Not to mention her legs were killing her from standing up so long.

She scooted off the bed, standing on her tiptoes to stretch her legs and feet, and went to find the rest of her friends. She supposed she owed them an explanation.

She found them sitting on the steps outside the theatre, munching on whatever they had brought (or bought) to eat for lunch.

Aaron looked up at her and smiled, his mouth too full of ham and cheese sandwich to say anything. He patted the space next to him.

She sat down, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten anything in a long while. She reached into her purse to grab the animal crackers that were always there, only to find them absent. She had eaten them the night before at around 3 am and completely forgotten about it.

"Hey, Livvy," Caleb said, noticing her for the first time. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. I needed it."

Her stomach let out a loud growl.

"Gee, Livvy, are you hungry or something?" Ben asked with a grin.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Haha. I haven't eaten since like 3 am. I had to eat my emergency animal crackers."

"Oh! Just a second…" Garfield started rummaging around in the knapsack he always brought with him to rehearsal. A moment later, he pulled out a package of animal crackers, the same kind Olivia always brought with her.

Her mouth fell open. "You have animal crackers?" she asked, astounded.

He shrugged. "I bought a big box of them after you told us that they were the only thing you can eat when you get nervous. I gave some to everyone. That way, you'd always have some if you needed them."

Olivia was speechless. Nobody had ever cared about her enough to do something like that. She stood from her spot next to Aaron and hugged Garfield.

"Thank you. That is seriously the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

He hugged her back. "No problem, Livvy."

She took the animal crackers from him, smiling widely.

"You've gotta be starving if you haven't eaten since 3 am. You want some of my fries?" Jefferson offered.

"I've got some carrots," Forrest piped up.

Soon, everyone was sharing food with everybody, like a massive potluck. There were french fries, celery sticks, Oreos, corn chips, and all sorts of other things.

Olivia happily munched on her animal crackers, pausing now and then to sample a few of the other shared dishes. She couldn't remember the last time she felt wanted, needed even. She loved the feeling of being surrounded by people who truly, deeply cared for her.

She saw Garfield nudge Aaron's shoulder and whisper something in his ear, causing Aaron's cheeks to tint the slightest shade of pink.

"You okay there, Aaron?" she asked teasingly.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered.

She looked unconvinced but nodded nonetheless. "Okay, then."

"Hey, um… can I ask you something?" he blurted out.

She turned around completely so she was facing him, giving him her full attention. "Shoot."

"Do you wanna go get coffee or something later?" he asked, trying to get the words out before he lost his nerve.

She was taken aback. "Are you asking me out? Like, on a date?"

"Only if you want it to be a date!" he said hurriedly. "We can just go as friends or something instead or whatever-"

"Do you want it to be a date?" she asked, interrupting him.

He was silent for a moment, before slowly nodding.

She smiled. "Then it's a date."

He smiled back.

The rest of the Barricade Boys started cheering, bringing them out of the little world they had been in a few seconds before.

Caleb clapped Aaron on the back. "It's about time, man!"

"I'll say," Jefferson added.

"I don't have work today, so come and find me when rehearsals are over and we'll talk," she said.

He nodded, currently unable to wipe the stupid grin off his face. "Sounds good."

ooOOoo

All day long, Olivia looked forward to the end of rehearsals, which is something she didn't normally do. She lived for the theatre. If she could move into the theatre and never leave, she would.

About 10 minutes before rehearsals ended, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and grimaced.

 _Karen never showed. Get yourself down here in the next twenty minutes or you're fired. Be prepared, she was supposed to work a double shift._

When Aaron came to find Olivia a few minutes later, he found her leaning against the wall, banging her head on it repeatedly. He placed his hand between the wall and her head so that her head was hitting his hand and not the wall. It didn't do anything to impede her actions.

"Olivia?" he asked. "You okay?"

She unlocked her phone and placed it in his hand. He glanced down, reading the text, and immediately understood her actions.

"Seriously? Again? This boss of yours needs to hire more workers."

"I. Don't. Wanna. Go. To. Work," she said between head bangs.

"You need to find another job. If this keeps going on, you're gonna get worked to death," Aaron counseled.

She stopped banging her head and looked at him pointedly. "At the moment, I don't have the time or the energy to look for another one. It took me a full week to find this job. It's a five-minute walk from my apartment and they provided a uniform. I'm kinda stuck with this for now."

"Guess we'll have to reschedule the whole coffee thing, huh?"

"I'm so sorry," she apologized.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," he said.

"I gotta go. I have to find some way to get there in fifteen minutes or less. Luckily I'm already in my uniform." She sniffed her shirt and grimaced. "Never in my life have I needed a shower more than I do right now."

"When will this shift end?" he asked.

"It's a double shift. I won't get off until about 2 am," she replied.

"You have to walk home by yourself at 2 am? That's a potentially dangerous combination," he said incredulously.

She shrugged. "I don't have much of a choice."

"Well, conserve your phone battery. I'll keep my phone volume up high so you can text me if you need me."

She smiled ruefully. "Thanks, Aaron."

"No problem."

ooOOoo

That night, after the dinner rush, Olivia was once again left alone with her manager. He slunk over to her, putting an arm around her and rubbing his hand up and down her side.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said. "How's about you and me close up early and blow this popsicle stand?"

Olivia was screaming internally, trying as hard as possible to keep her cool. "How do you close an all-night diner early?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"You and I both know that nobody ever comes in after eleven," he replied. "Look around. There's no one even here. Come on. I'll take you back to my place so we can have some fun."

"No thanks," she responded, clenching her fists so hard her knuckles were white. "I don't think my boyfriend would like that very much."

"Your boyfriend doesn't have to know, now does he?" he whispered in her ear. "It will be our little secret."

"I said no thanks," she said, much more forceful this time.

He scowled. "If you want to keep your job, you'll come with me, you stuck-up little stick-figure."

"You think that's gonna convince me?" she asked incredulously. "I can just quit this job and find another one."

His scowl turned into a glare. "I don't think so. If you quit, I'll tell all my colleagues about what a horrible worker you are. You won't be able to get a job anywhere within a 5-mile radius."

Olivia gulped; he had her trapped, pinned right where he wanted her.

"Now, if you have no more objections," he started, "I'm going to go and get the building keys."

The minute he disappeared through the back door, Olivia whipped her phone out a shot a very fast, very vague text to Aaron.

 _my sHift is Ending earLy. hoPing to get hoMe before Eleven_

When Jason came back, he saw Olivia pocket her phone. "Who are you texting?" he asked, suspicious.

She pulled out her phone to show him. "Just a friend. I was letting him know my shift was ending early."

He read the text, his scowl fading. He seemed to find it legitimate, handing her phone back.

"Okay, then. I don't live far. Let's get going. And if you make any noise whatsoever, you will be very, very sorry."

ooOOoo

Aaron was out with the Barricade Boys when he received the text. Seeing as it was a Friday night, they had all decided to go out and have some fun. When they learned that Aaron was no longer going out with Olivia that night, they invited him to come along. They were currently at a small, hole-in-the-wall pizza place not far from where she worked.

He read the message, puzzled. Why had she sent him such a vague text?

Garfield, having absolutely no respect for Aaron's privacy, leaned over and read Olivia's text. His eyes widened.

"Dude, look at the capital letters," he said, slightly panicked.

When Aaron went back and read only the capital letters, he found what Olivia was really trying to say:

 _my s_ _ **H**_ _ift is_ _ **E**_ _nding ear_ _ **L**_ _y. ho_ _ **P**_ _ing to get ho_ _ **M**_ _e before_ _ **E**_ _leven_

 **HELP ME**

"Guys!" Garfield called out. "Something's wrong! It's Olivia!"

The chatter throughout the eatery immediately ceased. "What's wrong?" James asked, concerned.

"She sent me a coded message asking for help. Based on what she said, she's just leaving the diner. It's down the street. Come on, let's catch her before she gets too far!" Aaron said, hopping up out of his seat. He slapped ten dollars down on the table and ran toward the door.

The others followed suit, leaving money for their pizza and running after Aaron.

ooOOoo

Now that they had left the restaurant, Olivia's panic had increased tenfold. Jason had a vice-like grip on her arm, making sure she wouldn't be running off. She started wondering how many people he'd done this to.

She covertly reached into her pocket and switched her phone on, glancing down slightly to find the voice recorder app. She pressed play.

"How many other girls have you done this to?" she asked, trying to stay calm.

He smiled wickedly. "Oh, I've got plenty of experience, sweetheart. Just you wait."

"Do you do this with all the girls that work in the diner?"

"Not all of them. Only the pretty ones," he answered.

She was absolutely disgusted. Of all the jobs she could have chosen, she had to pick the one where the manager was a serial rapist. Well done, Olivia.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Can't a guy have a little fun on a Friday night?" he replied nonchalantly.

Now she was just mad. "You think rape is fun?"

Before he could answer, there was a loud clanging noise from the alley they were passing by. Jason peered inside suspiciously.

"NOW!" Someone shouted.

A horde of boys grabbed Jason and dragged him into the alleyway, safely separating him from Olivia. She fell backward onto the sidewalk, looking up to see the concerned faces of Ben and James.

Ben gave her his hand, pulling her to her feet. "Are you okay, Livvy?" he asked.

She nodded, the reality of the situation starting to sink in. Another loud noise emanated from the alleyway, causing her to jump and move closer to the pair.

"James!" Forrest's voice was heard coming from the alley. "Call the police to come and get this guy!"

"On it!" he answered, pulling out his phone and dialing the number.

Aaron came out of the alleyway a minute or so later, a cut on his cheek. He let out the breath he was holding when he saw Olivia, making his way toward her. She went to him, hugging him around his middle. He put his arms around her and sighed.

"You got my message, then?" she asked, not moving from her position.

"Yeah. What happened exactly?"

"Can we not?" she asked. "Not here at least."

He nodded.

"What happened to your cheek?"

"The guy in there had a knife," he explained. "Who knows what he had planned for you."

"If you guys want to leave," Ben interrupted, "you can go. The police are on their way. We can take it from here."

"You sure?" Aaron asked.

Ben nodded. "Yeah. We'll text you when the police get here."

Aaron reluctantly released Olivia, grabbing hold of her hand protectively. She stayed close to him, reveling in the safe feeling his presence brought.

"My apartment is this way," she said, leading him in the opposite direction. "It's not far, like seven minutes at the most."

Neither of them spoke the entire way there. Olivia was too terrified that someone else could be out here in the dark, watching them, getting ready to strike. And Aaron was too worried about her to think about anything else.

When the reached her apartment block, Olivia led Aaron up three flights of stairs to her unit, pulling the keys out of her pocket. She unlocked the door with shaky hands, gesturing for him to come inside.

"Come on in. Pardon the mess, I haven't been home in like 36 hours."

He entered her home, glancing back to check that she had locked the door. Her apartment was small but cozy, decorated in the same eclectic style as Olivia's personality. There wasn't an inch of free space on the wall; every available surface was covered in theatre posters, framed photos, and artwork. The room, though already small, was filled with furniture, making it seem even smaller. There were bright colors splashed throughout the living space.

Olivia noticed him looking around. "It's not much, but it's home."

"I like it," he said approvingly.

She grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen/dining area, sitting him down on a chair and wetting a washcloth in the sink.

"Let's take a look at this cut of yours…" she mumbled to herself, running the washcloth over his cheek.

Aaron studied her as she worked. Her brow was furrowed in concentration. He could see the underlying fear of what had transpired that night still visible in her crystal clear blue eyes.

"There," she said. She rummaged through one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out a small first aid kit. She pulled a few band-aids out and took them out of their wrappers, sticking them in place on his cheek.

"All done," she said, stepping back to check her work. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, clear as day.

"You need to sleep," he told her. "You've been running on fumes since this morning. Don't deny it."

She was quiet. "I'm kind of afraid to be alone in my apartment," she said softly.

He understood immediately what she was saying. "Your couch looks very comfortable," he commented casually.

She smiled, understanding the meaning behind his words. "It is, according to my brother. He's slept here a few times. He left some of his clothes here as well. I think he's around the same size as you. I'll be right back."

She left the kitchen. Aaron got up and walked into the living area, glancing at several of the photographs on the wall. The photos predominantly featured Olivia with two young men, one of which looked quite a bit like her and another who was a bit taller. Others featured an older woman with kind eyes. Her brothers and mother, he assumed. In several of the photos, the taller young man was wearing a soldier's uniform.

The artwork, though far from professional, was very well done. Scattered amongst the more professional pieces were children's drawings and scribbles.

Olivia came back holding a pair of sweatpants and a grey t-shirt.

"Here," she said, handing them to him. "These should fit you. The bathroom is through there," she said, pointing toward a door down the hall. "On second thought, let me go in there first and make sure I didn't leave a bunch of dirty clothes and stuff in there…"

She poked her head into the bathroom, sighing in relief when she found it moderately clean. "Kay, you're good. Go ahead and change. I'm gonna go see about untangling this rat's nest formerly known as my hair."

Aaron chuckled. Her hair was pretty disastrous at the moment. He changed as quickly as possible, knowing Olivia was in desperate need of a shower. The shirt fit him just fine. The pants, however…

"Hey, Olivia?" he called out.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"These pants are a tad too big."

"Second drawer on the left," she replied.

Confused, Aaron opened the designated drawer to find a horde of disorganized hair supplies.

"Are you decent?" she asked, her voice much closer now.

"Yeah."

She opened the door and started rummaging through the indicated drawer, eventually pulling out a hair elastic.

"Use this to cinch the sweats," she said, quickly demonstrating what to do on her own slightly baggy work shirt.

"Ah," he said, understanding. He took the elastic from her hand and walked out of the bathroom.

"I'll fix these out here. Go ahead and take a shower."

Without another word, she shut and locked the bathroom door and started the water in the shower.

ooOOoo

When Olivia emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, she was wearing a pair of Spongebob Squarepants pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt she'd gotten from her single year of drama camp. In her hands was a spare blanket and pillow. Her wet hair was done up in a messy bun to keep it out of her face, something Aaron hadn't seen before. Her hair was almost always down. But the biggest surprise was the thick-rimmed purple glasses on her face.

"You wear glasses?" he asked.

"Only when I'm too tired to put in my contacts," she replied.

"You should wear your glasses more often. They're cute."

She smiled. "Thank you."

She sat down on the couch next to Aaron, handing him the blanket and pillow. "These are for you. There are a few other blankets in the bathroom closet if you get cold."

"Thanks." He set them down next to him and then turned so he was completely facing Olivia.

"What exactly happened tonight, 'Livia?" he asked softly.

The smile immediately left her face. She hung her head, her glasses sliding to the end of her nose. She pushed them back up into place. She played with her fingers in her lap, trying to decide where to begin.

"That man you guys caught in the alley is my manager," she started. "The one who keeps having me come in late."

"That guy was your manager?" he said incredulously.

"Yeah," she said, continuing. "He normally only works during the day. But since I started working there he worked every single shift I did. And almost every shift I've done since working here has been a night shift when most of the other workers didn't show up. I didn't realize why he kept putting me on these shifts until tonight."

"He was targeting you," Aaron said in realization.

She nodded. "Yeah. He would… um…"

"What?" he asked, gently pushing for more information.

"He would wait for the other workers to go on break, and then we'd be alone, and he'd… he'd harass me…" she answered, her voice breaking on the last word.

"How long has this been going on, Olivia?" he queried, trying his hardest to keep his anger at this man in check.

"Since I started," she replied quietly.

"This has been going on since you started working there? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I did. I told the regional manager. He didn't believe me. He told me to stop making up stories and get back to work. I didn't think anyone else would believe me if I told," she answered, a tear making its way down her cheek. She wiped it off, sniffing.

Aaron scooted a bit closer on the couch, putting his arm around her. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I believe you," he said. "And the others would have believed you too."

She didn't respond. She was trying too hard to keep her emotions in check.

"Did he ever hurt you at all?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. He would say a lot of inappropriate things and he would touch me and rub my side and stuff, but he never physically harmed me."

"What happened tonight, though?"

"He wanted me to go back to his place with him. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He told me if I refused, he'd tell all of his colleagues in a five-mile radius what a terrible worker I was and not to hire me. He grabbed my arm pretty hard." She showed him the bruises starting to appear on her wrist. "I actually recorded our conversation after that. He was telling me about all the other girls he's done this to. He told me not to tell anyone either, but I risked sending you that text anyway. He read it afterward and wasn't able to detect the hidden message. I'm just glad you found it. I don't want to think about what would have happened otherwise…."

Aaron, seeing how much this conversation topic was hurting her, decided to change the subject.

"Is this your brother?" he asked, pointing to one of the pictures of the soldier on her wall.

She smiled a little. "Yeah. That's Mickey. He's my big brother. He's four years older than me. I call him Mouse."

"Cause of Mickey Mouse?"

"That, and the fact that he's terrified of mice. He found one in our basement when we were kids. I didn't know it was possible for someone to scream that high. He's in Afghanistan right now. He's always wanted to be in the military, ever since he was a kid. He sends me emails and letters and stuff whenever he can."

"And that's your mom?"

"Yup. Edith Warner. She raised me and my brothers all on her own for the most part. She's the strongest person I know."

"What about your Dad?"

She was silent for a bit. "My dad was in the military as well. He was never really home growing up, but when he was we would have so much fun. He would always tell me to keep singing, to never give up on my dream of being in the theatre. I would send him videos of me singing to keep him optimistic. He went MIA when I was fourteen. Got lost during a bombing raid. Nobody's seen him since."

"I'm sorry," Aaron said.

She just smiled ruefully. "I'm so terrified that my brother will end up just like my dad. Every day, I wake up hoping and praying not to get a phone call from my mother saying that my brother was killed in action or went MIA or something like that. I haven't seen him in about three years."

He pointed to the other young man. "This is your other brother then? What's his name?"

"That's Alex. He's my twin, actually. We're identical. He's older by about 9 minutes."

"You have a twin brother?"

"Yeah. He comes to visit on occasion. The shirt and sweatpants you're wearing belong to him. He's in college studying to be a mechanical engineer. He and my Mom both live in DC, so their visits are few and far between. I grew up in DC, actually."

She yawned loudly.

"I have a lot more questions to ask you but I think they're gonna have to wait until morning," Aaron said. "You look exhausted."

"I feel exhausted," she replied. "In the last 36 hours, I've only gotten six hours of sleep."

"Then go to bed. We can talk more tomorrow."


End file.
